In 2018, Chris Cantrell was a 17-year-old self-described “hard kid to deal with” when his probation officer recommended he consider the E2 Program to get his GED and a paycheck at the same time. Chris was trying to get clean and knew he needed to make a step forward, but didn’t know where to start.
After enrolling in the E2 Program, Chris began to see that things could be different. He was assigned a Goodwill youth specialist to oversee his participation in the program who helped him grow not only in the classroom but also as a person. Chris said, “she helped me realize I didn’t have to stay on the streets or end up in prison, and I could actually be something.”
To Chris, graduation felt like he’d “accomplished something [he] never thought [he] could.” Two years later, Chris is clean, employed, has the opportunity to be a good father to his daughter and is recently engaged and looking for a home with his fiancé. From down and out to pursuing the American Dream, Chris Cantrell truly is an E2 Program Success Story.